


Why Don't You and I

by Fweeble



Series: Smile AU [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Past Relationship(s), Secret Admirer, Wooing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2013-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-25 22:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fweeble/pseuds/Fweeble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim doesn't know where the folded pieces of paper come from but he's thankful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why Don't You and I

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a joint AU with babybirdblues (aka waifu) on tumblr. This fic is loosely based off of the song "Why Don't You and I" by Carlos Santana and Chad Kroeger.

The first time Tim rolled over and found the red origami rose on his nightstand, he had been surprised and horrified. Someone had managed to break into his apartment, leave the folded piece of paper on the nightstand directly beside him, and sneak back out without his knowledge.   
  
When the paper flower didn’t explode or release poisonous gas after a few minutes of staring at it and when he was unable to find any wires, hidden devices, or other potentially harmful objects after carefully scanning it with his nifty portable x-ray, Tim was left rather perplexed.   
  
He put it in a clear, glass-proof container and decided he’d worry about it some other time. He had projects to keep tabs on and, in two hours, a meeting to attend.   
  
Then the second red rose appeared. Then a third. And a fourth. After the first half dozen, Tim stops scanning them and simply drops each additional rose in the container.   
  
He calls Dick.   
  
“Sounds like you have a secret admirer, Tim.”  
  
Tim decides not to point out the very serious issues involved with having a secret admirer that is able to break into your heavily booby trapped and monitored apartment, leave tokens of their affection, and slink back out of the apartment without your knowledge –especially after being trained by Batman.  _Especially_  when you’re one of Batman’s ex-protégés and have a long list of enemies who would  _love_  to break you.   
  
Not that there’s anything left of Tim to break anyways, but that’s a moot point. The main point is that it’s dangerous and a breach of security.  
  
But it’s clear from Dick’s voice that he doesn’t consider it a threat –he promises himself to haunt him forever when he is horribly mauled and murdered by his ‘secret admirer.’  
  
He makes a conscious decision not to mention his problem with anyone else. That is, after he calls Babs.  
  
“Mmmm, sorry Tim, I’ve checked through all your security footage and logs. It looks like whoever it is, he or she has your security codes.”  
  
She sounds remorseful, but Tim has spent his entire life building castles of lies; he is a living lie detector.   
  
“You know who it is.”  
  
Babs has the grace to admit it placidly, and, for that, Tim is thankful.   
  
“I do, but don’t worry about it, Tim. Your admirer won’t hurt you; they’re just a bit shy.”  
  
Tim wants to protest, but he trusts Babs, even suspects Babs of helping the secret admirer, because there is no one short of Ra’s-fucking-al Ghul or Lex Luthor with a chance of breaking in without his or Babs’ knowledge. Moreover, he knows she would never let this go on if she had even the slightest suspicion he would be harmed.  
  
So he tries to let it slide.  
  
After the first dozen, things change a bit. It’s not just one red rose anymore; sometimes there’s a carefully folded animal or another flower.   
  
When the small container won’t fit anymore origami tokens of affection without bending them out of shape, Tim leaves a note on his nightstand before going to bed.  
  
 _‘I’m touched that you want to leave me gifts, but, as you can see, my container can no longer handle all your tokens._  
  
—Tim’  
  
He finds his new gifts the next day; a handful of tiny periwinkle blue forget-me-nots and a red rose. Next to them is a hastily scrawled note:  
  
 _‘I’m sorry, I’ll try to fix that.’_  
  
He scrutinizes the note –he honestly hadn’t expected to get a reply –and finds that he recognizes it. He can’t quite place it, not when the suspect has clearly attempted to change his handwriting –and it is almost definitely a him –to throw him off.   
  
If nothing else, this proves that whoever his secret admirer is, it’s someone he knows. Someone he is close to. Someone who he most likely trusts.  
  
He still keeps the knife under his pillow.  
  
The next morning, he finds another red rose and two folded gardenias; both of them with stems.   
  
He smiles –whoever his admirer is, at least he’s considerate, and digs through his cupboards for a vase. He’ll probably have to buy some more on his way home.   
  
Three months pass in this fashion, with Tim waking up every morning to find an assortment of origami animals and flowers, a red rose, and, occasionally, a typed note.  
  
Little notes like, _‘I recently learned how to make giraffes; I hope you’ll appreciate him. I’ve named him Bob.’_  Or even notes that say, _‘I’m sorry today has been so difficult, here’s a sunflower to brighten your day.’_  
  
Tim begins to relax against his better judgment. He even begins to look forward to his daily gifts.   
  
They help ease the loneliness and bitterness of seeing Kon and Cassie every weekend when he helps the Titans, an obligation he refuses to neglect despite their presence. The constant reminder that there is someone who finds him worth acknowledging, worth _liking_ , is nice. He allows himself this one selfish pleasure.   
  
The words his secret admirer left him the day Kon and Cassie had announced the gender of their child, the day when the reality and enormity of it all had finally struck him, were probably the only things holding him together that night after he had gotten home.  
  
He didn’t shed tears. They didn’t deserve his tears. They weren’t worth his pain or sorrow.  
  
He was only able to move on so much because of him, the secret admirer. If nothing else, Tim is eternally grateful for the kind words the mysterious man has left him over the months. It’s unlikely he could have healed so much without them.   
  
Tim knows that he is a starving creature, desperate for love and attention.  
  
He leaves his admirer notes.  _‘Thank you.’ ‘They're beautiful.’ ‘I think I want to meet you.’_  
  
It’s the day before his birthday when he receives his one hundredth origami rose. This time, it’s white.   
  
 _‘Tim,_  
  
Do you know what ninety-nine red roses and one white rose means?  
I’ll drop by your apartment tomorrow to celebrate your birthday.’  
  
Tim leaves a note for his admirer that night.  
  
 _‘Dick is picking me up tomorrow morning at nine; we’re celebrating my birthday at the manor.’_  
  
And he regrets it, he regrets it so much, because he thinks he’s developed feelings for this man and he wants to spend his birthday with him. It’s not that he loves his family any less, but he wants to spend some time with the man, even if it’s just a little.  
  
He wakes up to find his note still there and his nightstand bare of any gifts.   
  
Tim’s heart falls.   
  
He’s still drying his hair when Dick rings his doorbell.  
  
He lets the other man in, apologizing, unable to quite articulate the feeling of regret he feels, the sense of missed opportunity.  
  
“I’ll be done in a bit,” he promises, “I just had a…disappointing morning.”  
  
“That’s too bad,” Dick frowns. Tim finally notices the plain white box and its perfectly tied purple bow in the other man’s hands. “But first, sit down. I have a present for you.”  
  
He shoots Dick a long-suffering look, “And this can’t wait until I’m ready?”  
  
“Nope,” and there’s a laugh in that voice.   
  
He obediently sits down on the couch next to the older man and opens the box.  
  
Inside is a large, colorful variety of folded origami cranes of different sizes.  
  
Dick is just a little red when he looks up, looking a bit embarrassed.  
  
“There’s one thousand cranes in there, Tim. I want your birthday wish to come true,” and it’s impressive how red Dick is with his tan, “I actually made more, a lot more. I want all your wishes to come true.”  
  
Tim doesn’t realize he’s staring blankly at Dick until the other man starts shifting around nervously.  
  
“I-I…why?”  
  
Because his childhood idol has just given him one thousand paper cranes, told him he wants all his wishes to come true, and is probably, most likely, his secret admirer.  
  
“Haven’t you read the notes in every origami?”  
  
“I –no.”  
  
Dismantling his gifts never crossed his mind, especially after they had become so precious to him.  
  
Dick sighs and gathers up the rather impressive amount of origami and drops them on Tim’s lap.  
  
“Open them.”  
  
There are little notes, little facts, written in each one.  
  
 _‘Fact 000: I love you.’_  
  
‘Fact 068: I love the way your nose scrunches when you’re thinking.’  
  
‘Fact 011: You’re perfect for me.’  
  
‘Fact 783: Sometimes, I get tongue-tied and nothing I say comes out right.’  
  
‘Fact 002: I’m a love-sick puppy when it comes to you.’  
  
‘Fact 054: You and I –together, we can take on the world.’  
  
‘Fact 831: I find heaven in you.’  
  
‘Fact 999: I could write facts about you forever. I find more things to love about you every day.’  
  
His hands are shaking while he opens the white rose.  
  
 _‘Question 001: Tim, will you go out with me?’_  
  
Tim is crying, the tears streaming down his face and dotting the white paper.  
  
Dick has his face in his hands and he’s kneeling, looking up at him.  
  
“Ninety-nine red roses and one white rose means I’ll love you forever,” a thumb gently brushes away a tear, “I’ll make one rose for you every day, because forever isn’t long enough.”  
  
“So, please, Tim, will you go out with me?”  
  
He has his arms around Dick’s shoulders before he realizes it, his nose buried in the other man’s neck.  
  
“ _I can’t believe you wrote all that_.”   
  
Because he’s never been special, he’s never been this loved. He doesn’t know what to do.  
  
“I meant every word, Tim. I love you and you are more amazing than you will ever know.”  
  
“Some of them are so  _corny_.”  
  
And his heart hurts, he’s so happy.   
  
“Is that a, ‘Yes I’ll go out with you, Dick’?”  
  
Tim’s head is swimming and his heart has never felt so full.  
  
“Of course.”  
  
His eyes are red and puffy, his nose a little stuffy, his heart aching just a bit when he has his first kiss with Dick.   
  
“I think I love you too.”


End file.
